2008-09-24

9/24/2008
Department of International Affairs - Democratic Progressive Party

1.Ma Ying-jeou’s administration should apologize immediately for its mismanagement of the China contaminated milk formula crisis. The KMT severely underestimated the scope of the damage, as the government failed to respond in an effective manner to the first sign of the crisis. Ma must immediately put an end to the government’s poor handling of crises, and a public apology should be the first step.

2. Ma should also demand that the Chinese government issue a public apology immediately, compensate the victims of melamine poisoning, and ensure the safety of its exports in the future. If the CCP neglects to take these necessary measures, the Ma administration should refuse to allow ARATS chairman Chen Yunlin into Taiwan.

3. The DPP urges governmental agencies to take these necessary steps to resolve the current scandal as well as to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future:

1.Inspect and examine all China-imported products immediately. The government should also demand that any products that have questionable safety concerns must label all the import-inspection requirements it had to endure, as well as the safety standards.

2.Amend the “Governing Food Sanitation” Act to require clearer labeling on Chinese products as well as encourage the establishment of the “China-Free” label system to protect the rights of consumers.

3.Establish a follow-up mechanism to monitor the long-term effects of contaminated milk formula on public health as well as provide medical assistance to victims.

4.Propose a compensation or assistance package to those companies that have fallen victim to the crisis and whose reputations have been damaged.

4. The Ma administration should officially file a complaint to the World Health Organization requesting for the WHO to respect our country’s sovereignty and title. The Chinese milk scandal also demonstrated the necessity for Taiwan to become a member of the WHO, and the Ma administration needs to address such concern. At the same time, the Ma administration also needs to protest against China’s irresponsible behavior during this crisis, which had threatened the health right of the people of Taiwan.